


Angry Blueberry Cyborg Could Use a Nap

by press05



Category: Guardians of the Galaxy (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: F/M, Gen, Not Canon Compliant, Post-Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-20
Updated: 2018-12-20
Packaged: 2019-09-23 08:50:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,225
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17077169
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/press05/pseuds/press05
Summary: After the dust settles a part of Nebula wants to fall back and just take a nap.She doesn't of course.--[AKA Lyn ignores the A4 trailer and Nebula saves the day.]





	Angry Blueberry Cyborg Could Use a Nap

**Author's Note:**

> I know the tags say Nebula/Kraglin but the romance is kinda scarce. I'm sorry. 
> 
> This is the first time writing Nebula outside an RP so I hope I do her justice.
> 
> Anyway, hope it's okay and sorry for any mistakes. ;w;

After the dust settles a part of Nebula wants to fall back and just take a nap.  
  
She doesn't of course. It's a foolish stray thought and right now she can't afford to act on it. She instead offers to help the injured man. They don’t stay on Titan long. Nebula doesn’t see a point and the man, Tony Stark, doesn’t argue. They’ve exchanged maybe one or two words after everyone’s vanished. Not that Nebula was interested in conversing much.

She pilots them out and sets a course for a nearby station to refuel. She hopes there’s at least someone still alive in the station. If not, she’d make do. Her companion mutters to himself as he looks out at the windows. Nebula ignores him as she sets up autopilot then moves to attend to messages the ship has received.

The Fox and Kraglin are the latest ones.

Her hand hesitates at Kraglin’s name so she instead moves to look over the messages left by the Guardians’ co-pilot.

 ** _On_** **_earth_**. **_It_** **_sucks_**.

**_Quill_?**

_**Stardouche?** _

_**Asshole.** _

_**Gamora.** _

_**Drax.** _

_**Mantis.** _

_**Someone answer.** _

_**Please someone answer.** _

_**Groot’s gone.** _

Nebula felt a bitter laugh bubble only to quickly die in her throat before it could come out. What were the odds? The Fox talked about how limited his lifespan was whenever trying to discipline the sapling only to be the one remaining guardian. With a push of a button she sends a reply: _They’re gone, Fox but Thanos will pay._

It almost feels empty, but she doesn’t care.

Her eyes settle on the messages left by Kraglin and she hesitates again. She lowers her hand from the panel with her head ducked. It’s foolish but she can’t make herself open to them. Thankfully an alarm goes off and quickly she makes her way back to the cockpit.

“The hell is that?” The human asks as a ship gets closer to them.

“The _Quadrant_ ,” Nebula replies, her tone softens. “An ally.”

It doesn’t take long for the _Quadrant_ to dock the _Benatar_ and shortly after they’re greeted by the pilot.

“Nebula!” Kraglin’s eyes looked red as he approached but Nebula doesn’t comment. He embraces her for a moment only to let go and apologize as soon as he does. “I was-” he stammers out a story of how he was in some bar getting info for a potential job only for the patrons to suddenly turn into dust and how he tried getting a hold of people with no luck. “I was so scared cuz nobody was answerin’ and I didn’t know what the fuck was goin’ on!” He blinked, finally realizing there’s only Nebula and nobody else out to meet him except some stranger. “Where’s-where’s Quill and-and everyone else?”

Nebula remained silent but Kraglin’s crumbling expression made her insides twist. “They’re gone except the Fox he’s on Earth.”

So many emotions flashed through the xandarian’s face. “What happened?”

Tony chose to speak. “Thanos happened.”

Kraglin’s eyes widened. “Thanos but-”

“Infinity stones,” Nebula interrupted. “He had them all and used them.” She looked elsewhere. “It was his dream to bring balance to the universe,” she sneered. “I’m going to find him and rip him apart.”

“Holyshit.”

Tony frowned. “How are you going to do that?”

“I was spared for a reason and I won’t squander it by being idle.” She glanced at Kraglin for a moment. “I will make him pay and return what was taken.”

“I have no idea how you’re gonna do it, Nebula but I’m with you,” Kraglin said, voice shaky and his eyes watery. “We’ll fix things.”

Tony exhaled before nodding. “Yeah, sounds good. I’m in.”

“Well, I guess the first thing we oughta do is find Rocket...on earth?”

“Well, I’m from Earth so I’m good with that move.”

The two men looked at Nebula.

“Yes, he may be annoying but his skills are useful.”

Kraglin stood straighter and gave a salute. “Setting a course for earth!”

\--

Later he finds her leaning against a wall, his expression apologetic with his hands behind his back.

“Sorry, ya probably wanna be alone and I get it I just-” he sighed. “I’m just glad you’re okay, I mean, considerin’.”

Nebula nods. “The feeling’s mutual.”

Kraglin blinks. “It is?”

“Don’t make me repeat myself.”  
  
The pilot looks sad for a moment. "You look tired, Neb."  
  
"I am very tired." She shrugged a little before eyeing his arms. "What are you hiding?"

Kraglin had something of a smile on his face before showing her what was behind his back. “I found it while lookin’ for spare parts and I thought you’d look nice in it.”

Nebula stared at the sun hat. It was white for the most part with a purple ribbon accenting it. How’d he find something like that while looking for spare parts she has no idea. Scrappers were strange.

“‘Course you don’t gotta wear or keep it if ya don’t want to I just-” He scratched at the back of his neck. “I couldn’t get it outta my head and thought maybe you’d get a lil laugh anyway.”

The cyborg took it to look it over before finally putting it on.

“Well, lookit that.” He wiped at his eye for a moment. “Them people on earth will say you look nice if nothin’ else.”

Nebula shook her head. “I am not wearing this on earth.”

Kraglin chuckled. “Yeah, that’s fair.”

When they arrive on earth, Rocket’s particular location has the sun beating down on it and reluctantly she dons the hat.

She does receive a compliment for it and Kraglin has a stupid “I-told-you-so” face while she wears it.

“The hell are you wearing, Nebula?”

“What does it look like to you?”

“A hat?”

“There, you answered your own question.”

“Sheesh.”

She was never close to Rocket and Rocket usually kept his distance unless he had some quip to say about her.

Aside from the question about her hat he was mostly quiet as the two of them stood to the side of what she believed to be a lab of some sort. Kraglin had to snuck off to use the restroom. She hoped he didn't get lost or get caught taking something that didn't belong to him. Habits were hard to break after all. 

“God you look dumb with that hat on,” he finally says glancing at her again. “Groot would’ve hated seeing you wear it.” He made a noise that sort of sounded like choked laughter. “He hates hats, says that...that you never know what kinda head someone has with a hat on,” he finished miserably with a rub of his face.

“Well, I like my hat.”

Rocket snorts. “At least someone does.”

The two are quiet for a moment and Nebula has to wonder what happened here. There's glass everywhere. Were they hiding one of the stones in this room? 

“If I recall correctly you said somethin' about making Thanos pay," Rocket says as he takes a seat on one of the counters spread about the room. "Which, if I know anything about your past actions means you're ready to do something stupid."

“We’ll get them back,” she replies. “We find a way and I kill Thanos.”

“Get in line,” he growled before softening. “You sound so sure of yourself.”

“I’m first in line. Always.” She crossed her arms. “I will kill Thanos.”

“Well, shit with confidence like that...” He let the sentence hang as he stretched before standing up. “Let’s figure out how to get this done then.”

She nodded. “Any ideas?”

“Well, I guess one of Thor’s friends has some kinda idea.”

“Better than nothing.”

\--

Nebula wants to claw her own eyes out and the universe almost lets her when she’s faced by a version of herself from the past.

The whole time travel thing to fix things is convoluted and she tries not to think about the consequences too much. She reminds herself it’s the only viable option they had and she squashes the little sarcastic voice inside her head that says, “yeah sure time travel of course that’s always the first option”. She tries explaining again the how and why since Nebula from months ago doesn’t seem to want to listen.

Her past self just rolls her eyes at the whole thing. “You’ve traveled to the past to kill father?”

“No but you’re going to.”

“How?”

“Simple, you’re going to hold Quill back and once the gauntlet is taken off you’re going to chop Thanos’ damn head off or anything else you’d prefer.” She shrugged. “The head just seems fun to lob off.”

“I do hate his stupid head.”

“Great, well, get it done and don’t mess it up.” She sighed. “I’ve no idea how many tries this Antman has-”

“Antman?”

Nebula shook her head. “It doesn’t matter just kill Thanos.”

“The hell you think I’ve been trying to do?”

Again, Nebula wants to claw her own eyes out. This is the second time she’s met up with her past self. She’s been instructed not to give too much information but it’s hard when this Nebula won’t even listen..

Fuck it. “Just don’t take the gauntlet and start monologuing only to have Thanos take it back.”

“That happens?”

“It can if you let it.” She sighed. “So do us both a favor don’t let it happen.”

The present sucked it’s not like it could get any worse.

\--

Nebula gets it right. Eventually.

She doesn’t brutally murder Thanos like she wants to but she takes back what’s hers. In doing so Thanos gets what comes to him. He can't hurt anyone anymore. 

Gamora is by her side and it feels like a crushing weight has been lifted. She squeezes her sister’s hand and she’s smiling with tears in her eyes. It almost doesn’t feel real.

“You did it, Nebula.” Gamora rests her head on hers. “He’s gone.”

It strikes her for a moment.

She’s right.

They’re free.

“What now?”

Gamora laughs lightly. “We’ll figure it out, together.”

“That sounds...good.”

“Good.” Her sister touches her face. "Come, let's sit down and rest."  
  
"Yeah."  
  
The two of them sit and enjoy the other's company.   
  
Nebula has never felt more triumphant than she has now despite having mocked Thanos before defeating him. 

She wraps her arms around her sister. "I win."  
  
Gamora gives her a funny look before agreeing. "Yes but I think we all win, don't you?"  
  
"I win the most."  
  
Her sister doesn't say anything just returns the embrace.

\--

She decides to stick with Kraglin on the _Quadrant_.

It’s much too crowded staying with her sister and others. It was simpler with the xandarian. His company wasn’t suffocating. He could talk an ear off if prompted but he knew when to be quiet. Nebula could appreciate that.

They do little jobs here and there to keep ship alive. Every now and then they’ll join up with the rest of the guardians for a job. Nebula didn’t mind being their backup. After all her years fighting and clawing to survive it didn’t suit her to be completely without. Thanos was gone but she still had fight left and there were plenty of imitators out there to kill.

“You save the universe a couple of times then it becomes an addiction, I guess.” She’s trying to be teasing but it’s not easy to pick up sometimes.

Kraglin offers up a bowl of something to eat. “Nothin’ wrong with helpin’ people.”

“No, I suppose not.” She takes the bowl, pauses to take a bite. “For a price.”

Kraglin smirks. “I knew I liked ya for a reason.”

Nebula just continues to eat. “Mmm.”

The pilot begins to eat as well. “I’ll be honest with ya, I can do with takin’ a break from helpin’ save the universe.”

“I suppose a break is nice.” She allows herself to smile a little.

“If anyone deserves it, it’s you.” Kraglin touches her shoulder for a moment before quickly taking his hand back.

“Yeah, you’re right.” Lightly she bumps her shoulder against his. “But so do you.”

“Then how's about the two of us lounge about after eatin’.”

The idea seems so silly, Nebula almost laughs. “Why not.”

“Hell yeah.”

Lounging for Kraglin soon turns to nap time, not that Nebula minded. She was content. Despite everything she was alive. She wasn’t whole but she was alive and she had people who cared for her. She was no longer alone.

She glances at the peacefully sleeping Kraglin.

A part of her is disgusted by the man. He had a bit of drool escaping down the corner of his mouth. Ew. His soft snores were kind of cute though. Kind of. Maybe. She watched the rise and fall of his chest.

Then there’s a thought: how long has it been since I've taken a nap?

Letting out a breath she relaxes against the couch she and Kraglin are seated. She thinks about how nice and quiet the ship is. She thinks about how they were going to meet up with her sister soon. A feeling of fondness creeps through her at the thought of her sister and the rest of their strange adopted family. Then she closes her eyes and rests.

For once she can afford to be weak.  
  
The nap is well worth it and she feels more rested than she has been for a long time. 

 

**Author's Note:**

> This is just something that wouldn't leave me alone after watching the Endgame trailer. I know trailers are often just teasing and aren't always reflective of the final product (*side eyes Hulk in Wakanda*) but man I just couldn't let go and accept: "oh yeah Nebula just lets her and Tony run out of food and oxygen" or "Kraglin or Rocket wouldn't try and help or communicate somehow". Like, again, I get it it's a trailer and it's just setting up what kind of stakes we're dealing with and you can't shove a lot in it but man. Don't be showing Nebula as incompetent. She goes headfirst into things she probably shouldn't but dammit she isn't gonna let herself die in space while there's a Thanos to kill. 
> 
> Side note: The hat bit was inspired by this really cute fanart https://www.instagram.com/p/BndYvfQgdZq/?utm_source=ig_share_sheet&igshid=xy0zcb09kaie
> 
> Anyways thanks for reading and tell me whatcha think?


End file.
